Akuko Magazine

17/08/2021

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And we are live!!! The is ecstatic to announce our inaugural issue is finally live on our website. Head over to the website, download the first edition of Akuko Literary Magazine. This issue has been a year in the making, we hope these stories strike a deep chord in our readers and reflect our theme of African history and culture. share wide and read with the homies. We cannot wait to see all your reactions, comments and questions. Don't forget to take pictures of your copy and tag us 😉

Akuko is a digital magazine platform for African artists and writers to share the stories of the continent and all its people worldwide. We collect stories in different media and forms, curate them, and make it easy for recreational and academic consumption

16/08/2021

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Watch this space tomorrow for our announcement!! We can't wait to show you what we have been working on!

23/07/2021

🔲Madness and Mourning🔲 - oftentimes we see people who challenge and unsettle our perceptions of socially acceptable behavior and our instinct is to cry "madness" or "insanity". What is madness? how much of is genetic deviance vs. manifestation of sociological trauma? What drives us to fear people deemed mad?

⁠We hope these excerpts help spark questions, offer companionship and provide succor. While we may never know what "madness" is, select pieces in our inaugural issue tackles the complex issue of madness and allows us explore the variegated manifestations of madness

What role does grief and madness plays in triggering madness? You can find more behind these snippets in issue 01!

21/07/2021

Akuko grooves our dedicated bi- monthly playlist to get you through the humdrum of work. Our playlist has cult favourites, new cuts and unexpected finds so you can sure that you will be saving to your private playlists. You can listen to our playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjhT5uCg7j_5GkRwkMhs3X5W

19/07/2021

Friendship has splendors that love knows not. It grows stronger when crossed, whereas obstacles kill love. Friendship resists time, which wearies and severs couples. It has heights unknown to love.
Senegalese novelist + feminist Mariama Bâ from her novel So long a letter; published in 1989

14/07/2021

Our CULTR maker for the month is Kunlé Adeyemi, an Nigerian architect, urbanist and creative researcher. Adeyemi is the founder of NLÉ, an architecture, design and urbanism practice focused on developing cities. One of Adeyemi’s notable works include ‘Makoko Floating School’, a groundbreaking, prototype floating structure once located in the lagoon heart of Lagos, Nigeria. Makoko Floating School has since evolved into ‘Makoko Floating System (MFSTM)’ – a simple, prefabricated, building solution for developments on water – now deployed in 5 countries across 3 continents. Check out some of the transformative projects Adeyemi and his team at NLÉ are working on their website.

2nd Image: Black Rhino Academy
3rd Image: Lagos Water Communities Project
4th Image: Eco Park
All credit to nleworks.com
http://www.nleworks.com/

12/07/2021

New month, New reels! Akuko reels is our monthly corner where we bring the cinematic content from Black filmmakers all over the world. We are switching up our reels this month by sharing websites where independent Black filmmakers can submit their films and avid fans of Black cinema can rent and watch films.

09/07/2021

Welcome to our "On our radar" series where we spotlight a fast-rising Black musical artist who we believe the should be buzzing about. This week we turn our radar to a South-African artist Mnqobi Yazo who blazed into the scene with his 2018 EP Iscephu and has been on a meteoric rise since then. The singer who cites African trap, Afro-pop, and maskandi as his sound influences among the dizzying array of sounds he is inspired by dropped his debut album Impi last year. A multidisciplinary artist, Mnqobi recently acted in roles on Erased and The River. He studied acting, completing a three-year diploma in the performing arts where he focused on theatre at the Creative Arts College. Check out his album here: https://open.spotify.com/album/0P6HzMDK27Y2AQblxlMD0i

07/07/2021

💡Do you know💡 the Tunisian myth of Bou Saadiya that tells the story of this father, whose daughter, Saadiya, was allegedly kidnapped and sold as a slave. Leaving his village, the man travels to North Africa, crossing the desert, wandering from street to street, from place to place, from village to village to entertain the children in the hope of finding his daughter among the young people. spectators. This Black figure is resuscitated during the Stambali, a ritual that finds its roots in Sub-Saharan Africa, among the Hausa peoples, but also among the Kanuris, further east. Imported to Tunisia by merchants, musicians as well as slaves kidnapped by Arabs to be sold in the souks, this ritual, initially born in the melting pot of cultures within Black Africa, has be incorporated into the local Islam. To read more about the figure of Bou Saadiya and the Stambali cult read this article: https://pan-african-music.com/en/stambali-the-last-dance-with-the-spirits/
Credits
Image 1 - Cheima fezzani
Image 2 - Hn Khaoula
Image 3 - N/A

05/07/2021

🔲Migration and Dispossession🔲 - The history of a people is a history is of their movement. It is impossible to discuss Blackness or Africanness with discussing our histories of both forced and voluntary migration due to chattel slavery, mass displacement and violent dispossessions. Black people across the world desire to escape inhospitable living conditions they are condemned to live and move to geographies that pose their own set of challenges.

⁠We hope these excerpts make you feel seen, offer companionship and provide succor. Stories in Issue #1 introduce us to characters marked a relentless errantry show us how difficult it is to exist in a liminal space where they have left everything they love in search of another place that may not love them back.

How has movement and dispossession shaped your family's legacy? You can find more behind these snippets in issue 01!

02/07/2021

Akuko grooves our dedicated bi- monthly playlist to get you through the humdrum of work. Our playlist has cult favourites, new cuts and unexpected finds so you can sure that you will be saving to your private playlists. You can listen to our playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjjbqIMkErVM59FNavGGkdPb

30/06/2021

American poet, author, and teacher, Gwendolyn Brooks from her poetry collections In the Mecca; poem published in 1968

28/06/2021

💡Do you know💡 that the Yorùbá people of south-western Nigeria, Togo and Benin have a fascinating post-death practice where after the death of a twin (Ibeji) , a twin statuette, symbolically representing the departed twin, also acts as a companion and solace to the living twin. The mother carries this figurine on her back, tucked into her wrapper the way she carries her living children. Since it is believed that twins share one soul, this practice is done in the hopes that the deceased twin will not be lonely in the afterlife and entice the living twin to join them. This practice is also believed to give the mother time to mourn and grieve her dead child. Read more about it here - https://www.artsbma.org/ibeji-figure/

Image 1. Source: Wendy Kaveney, Licensed Under: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Image 2 Source: Brooklyn Museum, Licensed under : https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

25/06/2021

🔲Loss and Grief 🔲 - how does one articulate the gut-wrenching feelings that arrive at the loss of a child? the loss that haunts us all after the deaths of millions of people in this pandemic? The agonizing knowledge that the world as we knew it is gone?

⁠We hope these excerpts make you feel seen, offer companionship and provide succor. Loss and grief is something we get told to move quickly beyond. No one wants to be around "sad" people. But these stories, essays, and poems allow us to sit in and acknowledge the unrelenting ache that losing a loved one can create. Loss never gets easier to bear and it is okay to grieve fully!⠀

What does love feel like for you and where do you or we find solace? You can find more behind these snippets in issue 01!⁠⠀

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Excerpt 1: windowseat by (insert name of writer) "I wonder when Olanna will break the news; she seemed angst upon his arrival. She always does- transform into this person immediately the man steps into their apartment, slamming the door behind him in his usual manner; a woman more to be pitied than admired. She wrings her fingers and skirts and scuttles around, fetching and replacing."
Excerpt 2: new parents by "On April Fool’s Day, as Ofodile drives his wife out of the hospital, he tells her their five-month-old baby has died. But Uju knows he is joking. " Excerpt 3: at the table drinking with my girls by Haneefah Bello (please keep the form) "we are not talking
about all the things we are
talking about
whose husband's baby is running down our thighs,

23/06/2021

Akuko grooves our dedicated bi- monthly playlist to get you through the humdrum of work. Our playlist has cult favourites, new cuts and unexpected finds so you can sure that you will be saving to your private playlists. You can listen to our playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjho7mqTyRRCBRlvG1mIUrm3

22/06/2021

Often times we hear that only great pain or trauma produces great art and so artists are expected to have tragic backstories. Recently people in the art world have been pushing against this stereotype and the overrepresentation of suffering in media. , we wanna know what you think? Do you think an artist needs to go through pain to produce great art? or is there a place for joy and happiness in art? As always, we can't wait to hear your responses!

14/06/2021

New month, New reels! Akuko reels is our monthly corner where we bring the cinematic content from Black filmmakers all over the world. Our playlist has throwback classics, trailers, indie shorts and film festival favourites! Keep an eye out for virtual film festivals showing these movies. We want you to engage with and support Black filmmakers :) watch here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjiq4q0v6db5N4mYdo55FM2f

11/06/2021

Our CULTR maker for the month is Laetitia Ky, an Ivorian artist who creates elaborate sculptures from her hair. With only her hair, some wire and thread at her disposal, Laetitia transforms her hair into whimsical shapes that match her moods. A proud feminist, she also uses her art to make political statements that speak against gender violence and oppression. Check out her wonderful art on her IG page

pictures credited to

09/06/2021

Akuko grooves our dedicated bi- monthly playlist to get you through the humdrum of work. Our playlist has cult favourites, new cuts and unexpected finds so you can sure that you will be saving to your private playlists. You can listen to our playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjgIfzf3i1YEgTk5BX1X28kj

07/06/2021

Welcome to our "On our radar" series where we spotlight a fast-rising Black musical artist who we believe the should be buzzing about. This week we turn our radar to Black Brazilian singer, Urias who is resplendent with rage in her latest EP, Furia Pt.1 which was released earlier this year. With her disarmingly edgy, futuristic aesthetic as well as her deep and mesmerizing voice it’s practically impossible to not fall in love Urias. A transwoman herself, Urias is intentional about creating music that make transwomen feel seen, validated and loved. Check our her hit single Diaba here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r83_ualtpM

28/05/2021

Honorable mention for the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Ayokunle Samuel Betiku - Ayokunle Samuel Betiku writes from the city of Ondo, South West Nigeria. He is a Young Writers and Creatives' Award Fellow. His works have appeared in journals and anthologies, including Kalahari Review, African Writer, Ngiga Review, Praxis, Libretto, Kreative Diadem, Lunaris Review, Pandemic Publications & elsewhere.

28/05/2021

Honorable mention for the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Somtochukwu Ihezue - Somto Ihezue Onyedikachi is a 23-years old Nigerian writer. He lives in Lagos with his sister, Ugochi, their dog, River and their cat, Salem. His works have appeared or are forthcoming in Omenana; a magazine of African Speculative Fiction, The Massive Company, The Year’s Best Anthology of African Speculative Fiction, Libretto Magazine, Mandela’s Institute for Developmental Studies, Escape Magazine Africa, The League of Poets and others. He recently won the African Youth Network Movement contest for his short fiction, “Can We Outrun Ourselves”. The winner of the 2020 SynCityNG poetry contest, he has been long-listed and shortlisted for the Nigerian Students Poetry Prize. Somto writes because there is beauty in the world and through words, he seeks to find it, live it, be it. He loves the smell of rain, porridge ukwa and tear-jerking movies. In his spare time, he fantasizes about being a high witch and falling unapologetically in love.

28/05/2021

Honorable mention for the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Olaitan Junaid - Olaitan Junaid is a Nigerian poet and content creator studying English Language. More than taking coffee, he enjoys having conversations about its smell. His works are in/coming on Glass, Palette, The Rising Phoenix Review, Perhappened Mag & elsewhere. He tweets .

28/05/2021

2nd runner up for the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Ókólí Stephen Nonso - Ókólí Stephen Nonso is a Nigerian writer whose poems have previously appeared in Feral Journal, Ebedi Review, Ngiga Review, Praxis Magazine, African writer, Adelaide Literary Magazine New York, Tuck magazine, and elsewhere. His short story has appeared in Best of African literary magazine. He has contributed in both national and international pages and anthologies. A joint winner of the May 2020 Poets in Nigeria (PIN) 10 day poetry challenge, and also a first runner-up in the fresh voice foundation Poetry contest. He is currently working on his Poetry manuscript. You can say hello to him on Twitter

28/05/2021

1st runner up for the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Haneefah Bello - Haneefah Bello is a poet and short story writer from Ekiti State, Nigeria. She lives in Lagos, Edo or Ibadan, depending on what she is doing at the moment when she is asked. So, she write from any of these places. She uses she/her pronouns. She is currently getting her bachelor's degree in Law at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She writes because her mind is bursting at the seams with questions, and she need answers. The recurring themes in her works are family and womanhood. She enjoys the works of Akwaeke Emezi, Ilya Kaminsky and Susan Abulhawa. She is on Twitter and on Instagram.

28/05/2021

Winner of the 2021 inaugural Akuko literary prize : Ajise Vincent - Ajise Vincent is an economist based in Lagos, Nigeria. His works have appeared in Jalada, Chiron Review, Asian Signature, Ann Arbor Review, Yellow Chair Review, Bombay Review, Birmingham Arts Journal, The Cadaverine, Saraba, Brittle Paper, Sentinel Quarterly, and Elsewhere. He is a recipient of the Eriata Oribhabor poetry prize 2015. He loves coffee, blondes and turtles.⁠
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21/05/2021

Welcome to our "On our radar" series where we spotlight a fast-rising Black musical artist who we believe the should be buzzing about. This week we turn our radar to Jamaican Reggae root singer Lila Iké who released her debut EP "EXPerience" spring of 2020. Born Alecia Grey, Lila Iké grew up in the cool hills of Manchester, Jamaica. Upon Iké's relocation to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city, she connected with top Reggae artists like Jah9, Kabaka Pyramid and Protoje. After appearing as a featured guest on some of their tracks, she began building her own catalog of impressive solo material by fusing contemporary reggae with soul, hip-hop and dancehall. Iké credits her musical inspiration to legends like Garnet Silk, Whitney Houston, Lauren Hill, Buju Banton and Sizzla Kalonji. Check our her EP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF4NqGJ_nhA&list=PLEf98BrbwldZMhxHDoYFT_jx5AxBChQOr

19/05/2021

Akuko grooves, our dedicated bi- monthly playlist to get you through the humdrum of work. Our playlist has cult favourites, new cuts and unexpected finds so you can sure that you will be saving to your private playlists. You can listen to our playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpbmig5zHMjhxAG2B0zNggNflM3M1ML0b

17/05/2021

💡Do you know💡 that the word maroonage comes from the maroons who were rebellious slaves who escaped the plantation and fled into the mountains of Jamaica. The word maroon itself is derived from the spanish word cimarrones which means "mountaineers". These escaped Africans would go ahead to form independent settlements and renegade communities on the outskirts of slave societies. While the maroons are closely associated with the escaped slaves in Jamaica, the practice of slaves rebelling from plantations and forming independent communities is not unique to Jamaican plantations. Maroonage, the process of extricating oneself from slavery, was practiced by slaves in plantations all over the Americas. Maroon societies can be found in Jamaica, Suriname, Brazil, Cuba & the US. Read more about maroon societies here: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199730414/obo-9780199730414-0229.xml